A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material to which the claim of copyright protection is made. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any person of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but reserves all other rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates generally to video conferencing systems, and, more particularly, to a peripheral video conferencing system adapted for stand-alone use and operation with a separate host computer system.
Video teleconferencing systems which employ custom audio and video processing components and proprietary signal processing techniques for effectuating video teleconferencing over a dedicated network link are known. Custom prior art video teleconferencing systems, such as the one illustrated in FIG. 1, typically employ a local video processing system 20 and a remote video processing system 30 that exchange audio and video information over a dedicated or specialized network link 26. Manufacturers of such prior art video processing systems typically utilize custom audio and video components in the design and manufacture of custom audio and video coder and decoder (CODEC) assemblies which generally communicate only with CODEC assemblies produced from the same manufacturer. Utilization of custom CODEC assemblies typically necessitates employment of custom communication interfaces 24 and 34 to interface the custom video processing systems 20 and 30 with the dedicated network link 26.
Employing custom audio and video CODEC assemblies and signal processing techniques in the production of video teleconferencing systems generally results in the manufacture of low-volume, high-cost systems that are typically affordable only to governmental entities and larger corporations. Early custom video processing systems 20 and 30 typically sold for over $100,000 per individual system, with operational costs often exceeding $200 per hour to communicate over a dedicated network link 26.
Recent advances in video teleconferencing technology have resulted in a reduction in the production and procurement costs of video teleconferencing systems. By 1993, two emerging leaders in the video teleconferencing system market, PictureTel and VTel, were marketing systems having an average purchase price of approximately $40,000. These and other prior art video teleconferencing systems, however, continue to employ custom audio/video components and signal processing techniques. The high costs associated with the purchase and operation of prior art video teleconferencing systems and, in particular, the lack of compatibility between dissimilar systems, severely limits the efficacy of video teleconferencing as a communication tool for businesses and individuals.
Desktop video teleconferencing systems have recently been developed to take advantage of the relatively low-cost processing capability of today""s personal computer systems. Manufacturers of such desktop video teleconferencing systems generally produce and market a set of video teleconferencing computer cards which, together with the computer system into which the cards are installed, provide desktop video teleconferencing of limited quality and functionality. A video teleconferencing card set adapted for use in a host computer system typically comprises three individual computer cards, each of which must be installed into a corresponding card slot within the computer system chassis. A conventional personal computer system 40 is illustrated in FIG. 2 with its housing cover removed. A typical personal computer system 40 generally includes a power supply 42, one or more hard disk and floppy disk drives 44, internal random access memory, and up to eight card slots, all of which are generally connected to and communicate over a motherboard 51.
A user of a prior art desktop video teleconferencing system must typically disassemble the computer system""s housing to gain access to the internal components, install the three video teleconferencing cards into three card slots 46, 48, and 50, modify the settings of various configuration switches on the motherboard 51, reassemble the computer system""s housing cover and base, and then reconfigure the operating system software of the computer system 40 to acknowledge and communicate with the newly installed video teleconferencing card set. Although the cost of prior art desktop video teleconferencing systems are comparatively lower in cost than the video processing systems 20 and 30 previously discussed, such desktop systems continue to be prohibitively expensive to many businesses and the individual consumer. More significantly, a potential purchaser of a prior art desktop video teleconferencing system may be unable or unwilling to dedicate up to three internal card slots 46, 48, and 50 for the installation of the video teleconferencing cards. Moreover, the typically complex task of re-configuring both the hardware and the software of the personal computer system 40 after installation of the video teleconferencing card set to facilitate desktop video teleconferencing may well deter a user from investing in such a cumbersome system.
The conventional video teleconferencing systems illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 fail to provide a high degree of portability from one conferencing site to another. The system shown in FIG. 1 is usually permanently installed in dedicated local and remote conferencing rooms, where parties must convene in order to participate in a video teleconference. Access to the dedicated network link 26 is generally available only at the permanent conferencing sites, thus precluding the ability to move the video teleconferencing systems 20 and 30 to other desired conferencing sites.
Transporting the prior art desktop video teleconferencing system illustrated in FIG. 2 to a new conferencing site is similarly impractical. The desktop computer system 40, keyboard, monitor, cables, and any other attached peripheral devices must be disconnect, transported, then reconnected at the new conferencing site. Although transporting a prior art desktop video teleconferencing system 40 and associated hardware can be accomplished through great effort, such systems generally require a dedicated network link typically unavailable at other desirable conferencing sites. Further, use of custom audio/video components and signal processing techniques continues to severely limit the portability of prior art desktop video teleconferencing systems.
There is a desire among the manufacturers and users of video teleconferencing systems to minimize the complexity of installing, configuring, and operating a video teleconferencing system. There exists a further desire to enhance the portability of a video teleconferencing system to facilitate easy transport of the system to a plurality of conferencing sites. Additionally, there continues to exist in the video teleconferencing equipment manufacturing community a keenly felt need to provide full-color, full-motion video teleconferencing systems which can communicate in conformance with internationally recognized communication standards, and be purchased at a relatively low cost. The present invention fulfills these and other needs.
The present invention is a peripheral audio/visual communication system that communicates with analog and digital communication channels for transmitting video, audio, and other information acquired from a local conferencing site, and receiving audio and video information from a remote conferencing site. The invention also comprises a high-speed interface for communicating with a separate host computer system and includes visual conferencing application software to enhance the functionality of the audio/visual communication system.